Photo © Nick Merrick | Hedrich Blessing
Our tallest buildings elicit all manner of flowery descriptions and grandiose statement, owing to both their scale and symbolism. In the entryway to Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s highest, quotes such as “the word impossible is not in the leaders’ dictionaries” are prominently displayed, a series of Successories for skyscrapers. …
According to Bill Baker, the structural engineer for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill responsible for the Burj Khalifa, the trend towards taller, thinner buildings has presented new spins on old engineering challenges.